Owl House Plans

These owl house plans are designed for a Screech Owl or a Boreal Owl.
These two owl species require an owl house that has an 8" x 8" floor, an
inside height of 12-15 inches and an entrance hole that is 3 inches in
diameter.

The owl house attached to the tree (below) is the finished product.
I attached it to the tree by screwing a piece of 1x2 to the back of the
house. I cut the 1x2 so that it extends about 2 inches past the top
and the bottom of the owl house. I used heavy duty wire ties to affix
the house to the tree.

Owl House Plans - Construction

Please read the complete instructions before you begin building this
owl house. You may choose to use different for your own owl house plans.

A single 1" x 8" plank that is 8 feet long is all you need for the
bottom, front, back, sides, and roof. A typical rough cut cedar
1x8 measures approximately 3/4 x 7 3/4 (depending on the mill). I
added some custom 1x1 trim on the corners of the house to make the
inside dimensions a little bigger and to add some style to the owl
house. Here is the complete material list:

Material

Size

Quantity

Western Red Cedar

1" x 8" x 8'

1

Western Red Cedar

2" x 2" x 6'

1

Western Red Cedar (for mounting)

1" x 2" x 20"

1

16 Gauge Galvanized Finish Nails

2"

50 (approx.)

Galvanized Wood Screws

1 1/2"

10 (approx.)

Owl House Plans (exploded view)

From the 8' cedar plank, cut the bottom, sides, ends, and top pieces
to the lengths indicated in the diagrams on this page. Using a
table saw, rip the 2x2 to make 1" square stock (6' long).

To cut the roof angle, measure to the center on one of the end pieces
and make a mark on the top. From that
mark, take a square and mark a 45 degree angle on both edges of the
board (see below). Cut the roof angle on the front panel, then use
it as a template to layout the back panel.

Cut the four corner pieces from the custom 1x1 so that, when nailed
to the front and back pieces, they are flush on the bottom (90 degree)
and top (45 degrees). Attach the four corners to the front and
back pieces. See the diagrams above and below.

The entrance hole is 3" in diameter. You can use any method you
want to draw the circle. I found a can in my garage that had a 3"
base and positioned it up at the top of the front panel and drew a
circle around it with a carpenter's pencil. If you have a 3" hole
saw, you can use it to cut the hole. If you don't, you can use a
jig saw or a coping saw.

Attach the front and back pieces to the bottom piece and one
of the side pieces, using the 2" nails. Attach the remaining side
using the 1 1/2" wood screws, one on each side about an inch from the
top. This will act as a hinge so that you can clean the nest box
from time to time. (see below)

Use another screw to secure the bottom of the side (hatch) to the
bottom piece (not shown). Pre-drill the hole for the screw to
prevent splitting the wood.

Attach the roof pieces as shown in the diagrams below. Note that at the
bottom-left of the drawing on the right, there is a small piece of wood sticking
out. This is a spacer for the 1" x 2" mounting board - the thickness of it
matches the overhang on the back side of the roof.

When you attach the mounting board, the spacer keeps the owl house
level. Use 4 of the 1 1/2 screws to attach the mounting board to
the back of the owl house.

The mounting board is included in these owl house plans, but it is completely
optional. There are many other ways to mount this own house. If you have
some good ideas for mounting options, please let me know by using the
contact us form.

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